Web Surfing
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 24, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 www.mrwinkle.com
Mr. Winkle
www.mrwinkle.com
The question of whether aliens truly exist may finally have an
answer. At least that’s what some people believe, due to Mr.
Winkle, a one-of-a-kind dog whose species and origins are, as of
now, unidentified. Looking more like a mix between the Snuggle Bear
and a Pomeranian dog, Mr. Winkle is quite possibly the cutest dog
to have ever existed. His utter adorableness has been acknowledged
world-wide, as Mr. Winkle has made appearances on The Rosie
O’Donnell Show, CNN and on various Japanese view shows.
Furthermore, Mr. Winkle has his own Web site which features
information on the pup, none of which, however, specifically
answers the question of what species the dog is. On top of this,
Mr. Winkle also has his own line of products that can be purchased
through the site. The most popular product is his 2001 photo
calendar, which features Mr. Winkle in a wide variety of poses and
goes for an average price of $14.95. Site-goers have the ability to
preview six of the months, the photos of which are so cute they
could entice any softy to purchase the calendar. One such pose
features Mr. Winkle sitting in a basket with a bunch of stuffed
animals that look like him. The fact that it isn’t initially
obvious where Mr. Winkle is in the picture attests to just how cute
he is. In addition to the calendar, Mr. Winkle also has a video
short for sale, a segment of which can be viewed through the site,
that features him in action. Viewers can watch Mr. Winkle run
around with steps that are also rather unordinary, and see how he
has a tongue which is always sticking out of his mouth (the site
claims his tongue is either too big for his mouth or that his mouth
is too small for his tongue). For the time being, Mr.
Winkle’s owners claim they rescued him from a pound, but his
true origin, whether or not it is extraterrestrial, isn’t
what makes him so great. Cuteness is truly what makes Mr. Winkle
the best dog on earth.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 10
Mullets Galore www.mulletsgalore.com
Hockey hair has finally scored a goal. The Mullet, often
referred to as the “business in front, party in back”
hairdo, is making a splash on a Web site hairstylists would abhor
““ a little place called Mullets Galore. Undoubtedly,
mulletsgalore.com is a site that will leave a lot of cold necks, or
those sans mullet, shivering ““ perhaps with fear, maybe
nausea, but most likely abomination. MulletsGalore.com captures
mullet-sheathed specimens in their natural habitats: holding a
beer, giving the sign of the devil, or smiling a big toothless grin
after getting paroled. But, let this be known, people sporting
mullets can be found anywhere. With page after page of photos, the
site offers a classification section with seven different mullet
styles, where a person can really hone in on the
“lifestyle” of a specific mullet. Starting with the
basics, the “Classic Mullet” category provides a
stellar example of this neck warming phenomenon. Think of this
style as Mullet 101. As a site-goer continues to peruse, they will
be quickly educated on the subtle nuances of the mullet lifestyle.
Complete with a “Mulletude” rating of 1-10, it’s
easy to know if a certain mullet makes the grade. A few of these
mullets, also known as
“achy-breaky-bad-mistakey’s,” do just that. The
punked-out “Mullhawk,” for instance, embodies a cross
between a Mohawk and the beloved Kentucky waterfall.
Mulletsgalore.com also crosses the gender line with a fine portrait
of a “Femullet,” a picture of a simple woman sporting
her non-gender restrictive ape drape. Viewers must not stop surfing
this site, though, until the “Loch Ness Mullet” is
hunted down. This refers to a photo of a man, one must assume,
blissfully fishing on a lake, content with his overgrown Squirrel
Flap. Other highlights of this site are a vocabulary section, a
merchandise section, and a featured “Mullet of the
Week” photo, which posts new and exciting pictures of this
hairdo (or, rather, this hair-don’t). Let this Web site be a
lesson to anyone who may think this trend is going to infiltrate
pop culture. While the Camaro Cut may drive some people wild, this
uproariously funny Web site will continue to be a source of comfort
and cheap laughs for any and all having a bad hair day.
Sarah Monson Rating: 10
Shitty Gift www.shittygift.com
Receiving gifts isn’t always easy. Often, an award-winning
performance is required from the recipient to show thanks,
especially when the gift isn’t all that desirable. At
shittygift.com, however, upset recipients can express remorse for
unwanted gifts, such as the notorious wool sweaters with
accompanying pink bunny designs that grandmothers just love to knit
and give away. The site’s content consists of woeful tales of
terrible gifts, submitted by various site-goers. The layout is
simple, but the humorous stories are enough to keep users coming
back for more. Not all of the supposedly terrifying gifts, however,
seem all that bad. What seems to be the more prevailing idea behind
posted stories is simply comedy. One present, for instance, titled
“Spud Missiles” is more of a suggestion for a gift than
a warning against one. The submission begins with the question,
“Have you ever wanted to blow someone away … with a
potato?” What follows is a quote from the spud gun site that
talks about the benefits of this particular tater weapon, which
actually cuts the potato into pellets instead of shooting the whole
thing at once. As with all stories, a link to the Web site
corresponding to the gift is also provided for those who are
interested. Some of the dreadful gifts are even quite shocking and
result in wonderment over who would ever create such an item. A
“Golden Toothpick” is one such object that is listed as
the perfect present for the guy who has everything. The 14-karat
gold retractable toothpick, however, will cost you a pretty penny,
priced at $109. A top 10 list for the week, as well as a series of
totally inappropriate gifts, is also available through the site.
Once again, site-goers may be shocked to learn about the existence
of the number one most inappropriate present, which is the
“learn about puberty” chia pet. Though no explanation
follows, a picture of a toilet does, complete with green growth,
which hints at the design behind the product. With humorous and
entertaining content, shittygift.com proves that some not-so-clean
content will make a site lacking in the latest technology still
great to visit.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 6
